JPH1189834A - Ultrasonograph - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonograph which can cancel the state of overlapping additional information on ultrasonic images or overlapping the images to hardly observe them. SOLUTION: This system is provided with a look-up table(LUT) 6 for converting a display signal consisting of one frame into a luminance signal through a priority encoder 5 from plural kinds of signals including the ultrasonic image signal provided by scanning the inner cross section of a subject with ultrasonic waves and a graphic signal concerning information added to this ultrasonic image signal and a monitor 9 for displaying the ultrasonic image and additional information on one screen according to the luminance signal, and the LUT 6 is constituted so as to change converting characteristics according to the kinds of signals.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for scanning a cross section inside an object with an ultrasonic wave, obtaining an ultrasonic image signal based on the obtained echo signal, and using the image signal as a comment, ruled line, scale mark, body mark, etc. The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that displays the supplementary information on the same screen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are various medical applications of ultrasonic waves, and the mainstream is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for tomographic images of soft tissues of a living body using an ultrasonic pulse reflection method. This ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is a non-invasive examination method and displays a tomographic image of a tissue. It has unique features such as display capability, small and inexpensive device, high safety without exposure to X-rays, and the ability to perform blood flow imaging by the ultrasonic Doppler method.

[0003] Therefore, it is widely used in the heart, abdomen, mammary gland, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, and the like. In particular, with the simple operation of simply assigning the ultrasound probe from the body surface, the state of the heart beat and the movement of the fetus can be obtained in real time display,
In addition, the safety is high, so that the inspection can be repeated, and the inspection while moving to the bedside can be easily performed.

[0004] In such an ultrasonic diagnosis, in addition to the generated ultrasonic image, one piece of information is obtained from supplementary information such as a patient's name, age, image quality parameters, ruled lines, scale marks, and body marks.
A display signal for a frame is synthesized, and the display signal is converted into a luminance signal by using a specific look-up table. Then, the luminance signal is converted into an analog signal and then sent to a TV monitor for display. It has become. By changing this look-up table or modifying the table values, the conversion characteristics can be changed,
The brightness can be arbitrarily adjusted.

In such a display screen, additional information such as a patient's name, age, image quality parameters, ruled lines, scale marks, body marks, and the like may be displayed on the ultrasonic image, and the luminance difference from the image is not sufficient. In some cases, the supplementary information is buried in the image, making it difficult to see, or conversely, the luminance of the supplementary information is relatively high, making the image difficult to see. Also, between images such as a B-mode tomographic image and a color blood flow image, if the luminance balance is poor,
Both images are difficult to see. For example, if the brightness of the B-mode tomographic image is relatively high, there is a case where the illusion that the sensitivity of the color blood flow image is lowered is taken.

In such a case, even if the luminance is adjusted, only the overall luminance rises and falls, and the relative luminance relationship between the image and the supplementary information and between the images does not change. The problem could not be solved.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which can eliminate a situation in which collateral information is superimposed on an ultrasonic image or images are superimposed and are difficult to see each other. Is to do.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there are provided a plurality of types of signals including an ultrasonic image signal obtained by scanning an internal section of an object with an ultrasonic wave and a graphic signal relating to information accompanying the ultrasonic image signal. A means for converting a display signal in which one frame is formed into a luminance signal, and means for displaying an ultrasonic image and incidental information on one screen according to the luminance signal, wherein the conversion means It is possible to change the conversion characteristics according to the type.

(Operation) In the present invention, when the incidental information is superimposed on the ultrasonic image and becomes difficult to see, the incidental information has a different conversion characteristic independently of the ultrasonic image. By converting the luminance of, the luminance difference between the two can be sufficiently provided, and the above situation can be solved.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a main part of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment. The ultrasonic image generation unit 1 scans a cross section inside the subject with an ultrasonic beam, and generates various types of ultrasonic images such as a B-mode tomographic image and a color blood flow image based on an echo signal obtained thereby. In order to be able to perform the operation, the apparatus comprises an ultrasonic probe, a transmission / reception circuit, a B-mode processing circuit, a color flow mapping processing circuit, a digital scan converter, and the like. Although only two types of modes, B mode and color flow mapping mode, are shown here for convenience of explanation, processing circuits of other modes such as M mode, continuous wave Doppler mode, and pulse wave Doppler mode are appropriately combined. May be equipped. Since the configuration of each of the components of the ultrasonic image generation unit 1 is well known, the description will be omitted here.

The ultrasonic image signal generated by the ultrasonic image generating unit 1 is supplied to a priority encoder 5, where the electrocardiographic waveform (ECG), respiratory signal, Biological reference signals such as brain waves and graphic display controllers (GD
C) incidental information relating to the image created in 3; for example, examination date, patient name, gender, age, interpretation comment,
It is synthesized into one frame together with an angle marker (ruled line) for Doppler angle correction, a scale mark, a body mark, a figure for measurement, a graphic signal of auxiliary information such as a measurement result, and the like.

In the synthesis by the priority encoder 5, when two or more types of signals overlap at the same place in a frame, any one of an ultrasonic image signal, a biological reference signal, and a graphic signal is determined in accordance with a predetermined priority. This is a process in which collection is selected for each pixel and the pixel value at that location is obtained. The signal for one frame synthesized by the priority encoder 5 is hereinafter referred to as a display signal.

The display signal is converted into a luminance signal by a luminance conversion circuit 6 and sent to a monitor 9 via a digital / analog converter (D / A) 8 for display. This luminance conversion circuit 6 is used for gamma correction as shown in FIG. 2A, contrast enhancement for a region of interest as shown in FIG. 2B, graphic luminance enhancement as shown in FIG. And a plurality of types of look-up tables having different luminance conversion characteristics, and can be switched freely according to a selection signal from the table selector 7.

The table selector 7 inputs, from the priority encoder 5, what kind of signal has been selected for each pixel, supplies a selection signal to the luminance conversion circuit 6 according to the information, and responds to the signal type. Select a look-up table for each pixel.

Normally, the luminance conversion is performed collectively from the ultrasonic image to the biological reference signal and further to the graphic signal using one type of look-up table having a luminance conversion characteristic for gamma correction. As shown in FIG. 3, a situation may occur in which the comment (Abcd) is buried in the ultrasound image and becomes difficult to see. When such a situation occurs, a command for enhancing the brightness of the comment is input by the operator via the operation panel 4.

When this command is input, the luminance of the pixel for which the ultrasonic image signal or the biological reference signal has been selected by the table selector 7 is directly used by the look-up table having the luminance conversion characteristic for gamma correction. The conversion is performed. On the other hand, in the pixel where the graphic signal is selected, the look-up table having the luminance conversion characteristic for graphic luminance enhancement is switched to perform the luminance conversion.

As a result, the luminance of the graphic is enhanced, and a sufficient luminance difference (contrast) with respect to the ultrasonic image is obtained.
With, comments will be visible. further,
If the comments are still buried even after switching to the look-up table, the touch screen for fine adjustment is activated as shown in FIG. The graphic brightness enhancement is switched to a similar look-up table with stronger or weaker brightness conversion characteristics, or the brightness level of the graphic area of the same look-up table is modified to be higher or lower. This makes it possible to further emphasize or suppress the luminance of the comment, thereby avoiding a situation in which the comment is buried in the ultrasonic image. It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented with various modifications.

[0018]

According to the present invention, one frame is formed from a plurality of types of signals including an ultrasonic image signal obtained by scanning an internal section of an object with ultrasonic waves and a graphic signal relating to information accompanying the ultrasonic image signal. Means for converting the constituted display signal into a luminance signal, and means for displaying an ultrasonic image and incidental information on one screen according to the luminance signal, wherein the conversion means performs conversion according to the type of signal. Since it is configured so that the characteristics can be changed, if incidental information overlaps on the ultrasonic image and it becomes difficult to see it, independent conversion characteristics are different from the ultrasonic image. By converting the luminance of the incidental information, a sufficient luminance difference between the two can be provided, and the above situation can be solved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing various brightness conversion characteristics of the brightness conversion circuit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of a display screen of the monitor shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view showing a touch screen constituting the operation panel of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Ultrasonic image generation unit, 2 ... Biological reference signal detection unit, 3 ... Graphic display controller (GD)
C), 4: operation panel, 5: priority encoder, 6: brightness conversion circuit, 7: table selector, 8: digital / analog converter (D / A), 9: monitor.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. One frame is composed of a plurality of types of signals including an ultrasonic image signal obtained by scanning a cross section of a subject with ultrasonic waves and a graphic signal relating to information accompanying the ultrasonic image signal. Means for converting a display signal into a luminance signal; and means for displaying an ultrasonic image and incidental information on one screen according to the luminance signal, wherein the conversion means changes a conversion characteristic according to a type of the signal. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized in that the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is configured to be able to operate. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conversion means includes means for holding a plurality of types of look-up tables having different conversion characteristics, and means for switching between the plurality of types of look-up tables in accordance with the type of the signal. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for allowing an operator to specify a specific type of signal that makes the conversion characteristic different from other types of signals.